Electrically powered or hybrid vehicle comprising a battery charging control device

ABSTRACT

A vehicle comprising an electric motor serving as a powering engine and a storage battery for running the electric motor. The vehicle comprises a battery charger coupled to an electric power source external to the vehicle with power for rapid charge, for example, on the order of magnitude of ten minutes. The battery charger is, for example, designed to enable a charge via a three-phase power supply network.

The present invention pertains to an electrically powered or hybridmotor vehicle.

Electrically powered motor vehicles are known to be used for shortdistances only because of the limited capacity of the batteries and thetime needed to charge a battery.

The present invention makes it possible to use an electrically poweredmotor vehicle over long distances.

The electrically powered vehicle according to the present invention ischaracterized in that it comprises means for charging the battery bymeans of an electric power source external to the vehicle which has apower permitting rapid charge, for example, on the order of magnitude often minutes.

The electric power sources external to the vehicle may be installed in“service stations” at which fuel is available for vehicles equipped withinternal combustion engines or for hybrid vehicles. The duration ofcharging may be on the same order of magnitude as the time during whicha vehicle with internal combustion engine is stopped at the gas stationto fill up the tank with fuel.

The present invention is useful not only for purely electrically poweredvehicles but also in the case of hybrid vehicles in which the user canfreely select the powering mode. In fact, the user may prefer electricpower in certain cases, especially for urban traffic or other zones inwhich the exhaust gases may be harmful, and the user has means forcharging the battery in these situations without having to operate theinternal combustion engine.

It is recalled here that a hybrid vehicle comprises, on the one hand, aconventional internal combustion engine and, on the other hand, anelectric motor supplied by a storage battery. The battery is chargedwhen the vehicle is being powered by the internal combustion engine. Theinternal combustion engine drives the electric motor in this case, whichoperates now as a generator and charges the battery.

Such a vehicle comprises a means for automatic power management, whichgives priority to the electric power when the battery is sufficientlycharged and to the internal combustion engine above a certain rate ofspeed. By contrast, when the state of charge of the battery is notsufficient, the internal combustion engine is systematically put intooperation partly to ensure the powering and partly to charge thebattery.

It shall also be recalled that a power mode management for hybridvehicles has already been provided, which comprises a switching meansthat can be actuated by the driver, which enables him to choose betweenan automatic management mode and a manual management mode offering thechoice between the mode of powering by means of the internal combustionengine and the mode of powering by means of the electric motor.

It is the presence of such a switching means that enables the driver togive preference to the electric power.

Given that the electric power supply network, e.g., a 380-V three-phasenetwork, of a power sufficient to achieve rapid charging of the batteryof the electric or hybrid vehicle, is not necessarily availableeverywhere, a preferred embodiment of the vehicle also comprises meansthat make it possible to carry out the charging with a second power,which is appreciably lower than the first one. Thus, the charging may becarried out at home during a period of time on the order of magnitude ofan hour in case of a hybrid vehicle.

These charging means are such, for example, that they permit chargingfrom a single-phase network, e.g., one with a voltage of 220 V.

In one embodiment, the electric or hybrid vehicle is such that the meansfor charging the battery by means of an external power source comprisefiltering means for isolating the power source from electromagneticinterferences generated onboard the vehicle.

The means for charging the battery by means of the external power sourcemay comprise means for balancing the phases of the power source.

According to one embodiment, the vehicle comprises a switch having afirst position, in which the electric machine is connected to powersupply from the battery, and a second position, in which the battery isconnected to an external charging source, the connection between themotor and the battery being interrupted, the switch being madeintegrally in one piece with an electric socket located in the vehicleand intended to cooperate with a complementary socket of a network, theswitch automatically assuming the second position when the electricsocket of the vehicle cooperates with the complementary socket of thenetwork.

In case of a hybrid vehicle, provisions are made in one embodiment forthe means for charging the battery to comprise a means acting as arectifier for charging and acting as an inverter when the machine isoperating as a motor supplied from the battery.

A hybrid vehicle comprises, for example, an automatically operating,two-position switch having a first position in which the electricmachine is connected to battery supply and a second position in whichthe battery is connected with an external charging power source, theconnection between the motor and the battery now being interrupted.

In case of a hybrid vehicle comprising a control device with acalculation means for automatically determining the mode of power, withinternal combustion engine and/or electric motor, as a function of thestate of charge of the battery and the torque the vehicle is required todeliver, this control device comprises an additional control means thatcan be actuated inside the vehicle in order to make it possible tofreely select the mode of power, the additional control means beingconnected, for example, to the calculation means.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear fromthe description of some of its embodiments, the description being givenin reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a prior-art hybrid vehicle;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view showing the control means of a hybridvehicle;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view analogous to that in FIG. 3, but for avariant;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a charging circuit for an embodimentvariant shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of an inverter for a hybrid vehicle;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic view corresponding to the example according toFIG. 4; and

FIG. 8 shows a schematic view corresponding to a variant of the exampleshown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 1 shows the principle of a prior-art hybrid vehicle to which thepresent invention applies.

Such a hybrid vehicle comprises a conventional internal combustionengine 10 with a fuel tank 12. The internal combustion engine 10 isconnected with an electric machine 14 forming the electric drive motorof the vehicle, on the one hand, and a generator for charging thebattery, on the other hand.

The electric machine 14 is connected with a battery 16 via theintermediary of an electronic power circuit 18 that makes possible, onthe one hand, the transfer of energy from the battery 16 to the machine14 operating a motor, and, on the other hand, inversely, the charging ofthe battery when the machine 14 operates as a generator.

The shaft of the electric machine may be connected directly with theshaft of the internal combustion engine and the shaft of the electricmachine 14 (or the shaft of the internal combustion engine) may beconnected directly with a transmission 20 for driving the wheels 22, thetransmission being able to be, for example, a manual or automaticgearbox.

It is also possible to provide clutches 24 and 26 for coupling the shaftof the internal combustion engine with the shaft of the electric motorand for uncoupling the shaft of the electric motor from the transmissionshaft.

For example, the shaft of the internal combustion engine is coupled withthe shaft of the electric motor in the electric power mode when theaccessories such as the air conditioner of the vehicle are powered bythe internal combustion engine. In the case in which a clutch 24 isprovided, the shaft of the electric motor can be uncoupled from theshaft of the internal combustion engine when the battery has a lowcharge or at the start of the vehicle when it is powered by the internalcombustion engine or the electric motor.

To control all these elements, calculation means 28 comprising one ormore calculators are provided.

Thus, these calculation means 28 control the internal combustion engine10, the electric machine 14, the circuit 18, the clutches 24 and 26 aswell as the transmission 20. These calculation means are also connectedto the battery 16 to receive signals of the latter, such as the depth ofdischarge or its temperature.

The calculation means make it possible, in particular, to manage themode of power such that the vehicle will be powered by electric powerwhen the battery is sufficiently charged and by the internal combustionengine 10 when the charge of the battery becomes insufficient and tocharge the battery in this case.

For driving at a high rate of speed, the calculation means givespriority to powering by the internal combustion engine, but the electricmotor may intervene if needed, especially during the phase ofacceleration to provide additional torque.

Provisions are made in the present invention for the calculation means28, (FIG. 2) to be programmed in such a way as to make it possible todeactivate the automatic powering mode management as desired, the driverbeing now able to choose preferentially either the electric power orpowering by means of the internal combustion engine. Thus, the driverhas two control buttons (not shown), one for controlling the vehicle incase of electric power only and the other for controlling the vehicleonly in the case in which it is powered by the internal combustionengine.

These two buttons send pulses to the respective inputs 32 and 34 of thecalculation means 28 ₁. A pulse on the entry 32 corresponds to poweringby the electric motor only, and a pulse at the input 34 corresponds topowering by the internal combustion engine only.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, which can be usedindependently from the first aspect or in combination with the latter,provisions are made, in the hybrid vehicle, for means permitting thebattery to be charged with electricity from an external power network.

Provisions are made, for example, for means permitting the battery to becharged either by means of a three-phase network with a voltage of 380 Vor by means of a single-phase network with a voltage of 220 V.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the hybrid vehicle comprises connectors40 and 42 connected to the battery and making it possible to cooperatewith external recharging means. Thus, the connector 40 is intended tocooperate with a complementary connector of the external high-powercharging means, for example, one located at a service station forrecharging with 380-V three-phase current, whereas the connector 42 isintended to be connected, via the intermediary of a simple power outlet47, with external recharging means 46 supplied with conventionaltwo-phase or single-phase current with a voltage of 220 V.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, the very-high-power or rapid chargetakes place via the intermediary of the circuit 18, onboard the hybridvehicle, at the input of which a switch assembly unit 50 is provided,likewise onboard the vehicle, which is also connected with the machine14.

With the circuit 18 ₁, the assembly unit 50 permits high-power charging.It is of the single-phase or three-phase type and ensures, on the onehand, the isolation between the circuit 18 and the machine 14 and, onthe other hand, by filtering, the protection of the supply network fromthe electromagnetic interferences that could originate from the vehicle.The assembly unit 50 also permits the phase balance of the network to bemaintained.

In a variant, the assembly unit 50 is located, at least partly, outsidethe vehicle, for example, in an energy distribution station.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a low-power charger intended forinstallation onboard the vehicle, whereas the charger 46 according tothe example shown in FIG. 3 is not integrated within the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the slow recharging circuit 60 comprises, on the onehand, a diode bridge rectifier 62 for converting into DC voltage the220-V single-phase voltage with 15 A applied to the input 62. The outputof the rectifier 62 is connected to the inputs 62 ₁ and 62 ₂ of afiltering and power “boosting” circuit 64, the “boosting” functionpermitting a correction of the power factor, i.e., a modulation of thecurrent as a function of the voltage present in the network.

This circuit 64 is connected with the input of the circuit 66 whichmodulates the charging current and ensures the galvanic isolation, thecircuit 66 being connected to the terminals of the battery to becharged. The circuit 66 also comprises conventional means of regulatingthe charging current, which are controlled by the calculation means (notshown in FIG. 5).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the machine 14 is of the three-phasetype. Thus, the battery 16 is connected with the motor via theintermediary of an inverter 70 comprising, in the example, six pairs oftransistors T₁ and diodes D₁, the base of each transistor beingcontrolled by an electronic unit 72 that is part of the calculationmeans. The transistors are controlled such that when the vehicle isbeing powered electrically or in the mixed mode, the current supplied bythe battery is transformed into an alternating three-phase current withwhich the motor 14 is supplied, and when the machine 14 is operating asa generator for charging the battery 16, the transistors T₁ and thediodes D₁ form a rectifying bridge to deliver a direct charging currentto the battery.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of thehigh-power three-phase supply for the rapid recharge of the type shownin FIG. 4 and involving the use of the inverter 70 shown in FIG. 6. Theswitch 74 and the filter 76 protecting the external three-phase supplynetwork from the electromagnetic interferences generated onboard thevehicle are located in an assembly unit 78 integrated within thevehicle.

The switch 74 is controlled automatically by the calculation means.Thus, in the position of the switch as shown in FIG. 7, the machine 14is connected to the battery supply and to the transistor and diodeassembly when the contact key of the vehicle is in the drive position.When the contact key is in the stop position, the switch 74 is in theother position, ready for recharging.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, the switch 80 is controlledmechanically. It is, for example, in the electric outlet of the vehicleand is brought into the charging position (and consequently into theposition in which it is disconnected from the motor) when the plug ofthe network cooperates with the socket of the vehicle. In addition, thefiltering circuit 82 is not onboard the vehicle but at an electricitydistribution station indicated by the box 84.

The present invention is not, of course, limited to the embodimentsdescribed. In particular, it is not limited to hybrid vehicles. It mayalso be used for electrically powered vehicles.

1. A vehicle comprising an electric motor having an engine poweringfunction and a storage battery for running the electric motor,comprising means for charging the battery from an electric power sourceexternal to the vehicle with a power permitting rapid charge.
 2. Avehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for charging thebattery are arranged such as to permit charging via an intermediary of athree-phase supply network.
 3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1, or2, further comprising means for charging the battery with a second powersource that is substantially lower than the external power sourcepermitting rapid change.
 4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 3,wherein the means for charging with the second power source are such asto permit charging via an intermediary of a single-phase supply network.5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein the means forcharging the battery by means of the external power source comprisefiltering means for isolating the external power source fromelectromagnetic interferences generated onboard the vehicle.
 6. Avehicle in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for chargingthe battery by means of the external power source comprise means forbalancing phases of a multi-phase supply network.
 7. A vehicle inaccordance with claim 1 or 2, further comprising a switch having a firstposition, in which the electric motor is connected to the battery and asecond position in which the battery is connected with the externalpower source, the connection between the motor and the battery beinginterrupted when the switch is in the second position, the switch beingan integral part of an electric outlet located in the vehicle and beingconfigured to cooperate with a complementary outlet of a network, theswitch automatically assuming the second position when the electricoutlet of the vehicle is cooperating with the complementary outlet ofthe network.
 8. A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein thevehicle is of the hybrid type and comprises an internal combustionengine, the electric motor being configured to be of an electric powergenerator for supplying a charging current for the storage battery whenit is operating as a generator, a control device with a calculationmeans being provided for automatically determining a mode of powering,with internal combustion engine and/or with electric motor, depending ona state of charge of the battery and a required torque of the vehicle.9. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein the means for chargingthe battery comprise a means acting as a rectifier for the charging andoperating as an inverter when the motor is supplied by the battery. 10.A vehicle in accordance with claim 8 further comprising a two-positionautomatic switch having a first position in which the electric motor isconnected to the battery and a second position in which the battery isconnected with the external charging power source, the connectionbetween the motor and the battery being interrupted when the battery isconnected to the external charging power source.
 11. A vehicle inaccordance with claim 8, wherein the control device comprises anadditional control means that is configured to be actuated from insidethe vehicle in order to allow free selection of the mode of powering.12. A vehicle in accordance with claim 11, wherein the additionalcontrol means is connected to the calculation means.